Method of and apparatus for reinforcing inflatable tire-tubes.



METHOD 0F AND'APP APPLICATION FILED 1uLYl,1 91s.

J.' H. POOLE.

ARATUS FOR REIN-FORCING INFLATABLE TiRE TUBES..

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

2Q/4 @prv 'TSX-IN H. EQLE, 0F BRG-UKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 REIFORGED INNER TUBE CMPAITY, SETTS.

OIE' BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CRFORTIN 0F MASSACHU- IVZETEOD F AND APPARATUS FOR REINFORCING INFLATBLE TRE-TUBES.

S ecfication of Letters Iatelit.

Patented Apr.. ii, $193.6.

Application filed July 17, 1915. Serial No. 420.4%?.

To aZZ -w/wm it 'may concern: Be it known that I, Jol-iN H. PooLL, a citi- Zen of the United States, and resident oi c tain new and useful improvements in Methods of and Apparatus iatable Tire-Tubes, is a specification.

This invention relates to an iniiatablc annular inner tube for a pneumatic tire, the

for Reinforcing lnof which the following -ltube being provided with an external reinforcing member or band secured to the/outer portion of the tube or that portieri which bears on the tread portion of a tire shoe in which the tube is inclosed, as shown by Letters 1Patent of the United States No. LMLQBS, granted J une 22, 1915. The reinforcing band includes one or more layers ofv practically inextensibletextile fabric and is caused t0 adhere iirmly to the outer portion of the tube. so that saidv outer portion is l prevented by the band from stretching. In

the event cgt a puncture in the outer portion of the tube, the band, although punctured with the tube, prevents the stretching of the punctured portion of the tube, so that tbe fracture cannot be enlarged and opened by the air pressure within the tube, the tendency of the .air pressure being rather to close the Jfracture by pressing its walls together and thus prevent or minimize the leakage of air.

The present invention has for its object to enable the reinforcing band to be attached to the outer portion of 'tbe tube while said portion is free from tension, sotlia-t when the tube is inflated and in use the outer por-d tion of the tube will retain the full original thickness of the rubber of which the tube is made and will be freely compressible by air pressure within the tube to close puncn .turesormed in saidv outer portion. l The inventionl consists in the improved method of applying and securing the rein forcing band, apd in the improved apparatus w iereby Said method may be practised, all ashereinafter described and claimed.

@i the accompanyingdrawings forming a part or" this speciication:'Figui-e l represente a side view of a form constituting' a part of the improved apparatus,V a flattened inner 1tube`l and a remorciiig band ntif-ung shown by dotted lines on said form; big. 2

represents a section on line 242 of Fig. l,

showing by dotted lines not only the liat tened tube and reinforcing band, but alsotlie elastic ligature hereinafter refererd to; Figs. 3.and 4 represent fragmentary perspective views illustrating details of the form shown by igs, l and 2; Fig. 5 represents a section on line 'z3-5 of Fig. 4t; Fig. 6 represents an.

enlargement of a portion of Fig. 2, showing the attened tube on the form; Fig. 7 represents a view similar to Fig. 6, showing the reinforcing band applied to the attened tube; Fig. 8 represents a perspective view of an elastic ligature constituting a part of 'he apparatus; Fig. 9 represents a vview similar to Fig. '.7, showing the ligature epplied to the forni and exerting radial inward pressure on the reinforcing band and flattened tube; 10 represents in section two. laminated layers of which the reinforcing band may be made; Fig. 11 represents a sectional view vof the reinforced tube, the norn mal diameter of the tube being indicated by full lines, and its increased diameter by iniation being indicated by dotted lines; Fig. l2 represents a fragmentary side view of a modified form ci ligature; Fig. 13 represents a section on line'l3-134of Fig. l2,

The saine reference characters indicate the saine or similar parts in all theviews.

lncarrying out my invention I take an 'ordinary annular inner tube 12 of the kind pneumatic tires, saidused in the shoes ot' tube being deflated, and place it, in the colL lapsed flattened condition shown by Figs. 2 and *5, on a circular form 13. l have found that" when'an inner tube 12 is deflated.v and its inner and 4outer portions meet and Iforni two contacting layers or sides, fboth sides assume a transversely crowning form'when the inner side is supported by a circular bed conforming to its outward bulge, the inner layer bulging outwardly without wrinkles and the outer layer lying smoothly without wrinkles on the inner layer, as shown by Fig. 6'. By an outward bulge I mean the reversal of the bulge or curvature of the inner side of an inlated tube.

vreceive seid sointlle., esiti hub as here shown .L bein(y the centrel portion oi.' e wooden Crossb 1 A v bar 16, the enes ot which lieve slots 17 receiving sheet nietel tongues i8 rivetetl to vanti projecting inwardly from 'the torni.

Swirl tongues :ire bent et their outer Corners to form eers i9 bearing' on opposite sides of the ber la?, shown by The ber .is thus Cletecbebly secured to the torni, the ber being' ible when the eers i9 ere bent to restore Une tongues lo 'to the form shown by 2G represents the reinforcing bend, whicri is fol-ined by wrapping e. st i oit iiexible materiel eren'fitl 'the enter surface of the tube l2, the enels 2OE or the strip being overlapped, shown by flottetl lines in Fig. l. The strip preferably includes two or more layers of practically inextensible textile tebric, such es cotton iiuclt or canvas, ot suitable thickness, its Width being somewhat less than heit tbe eircuinference of the tube. Fig'. l0 shows two eenves layers E20 end 2005 with wlnen ere associated layers 2G of unvnieanizeil rubber which unite the canvas layers to form the serip :intl enable the strip es e whole to be united to the tube. aitl rubber layers may .Je composed of relatively pure rubber, known. es vnlezinizing gum, which is applied in thin sheets to the canvas layers :titer being renderetleclhesive by applying e suitable solvent of rubber'7 suoli :is gasolene, to its surfaces rlllhe Ainner eenvzis layer 20" is preferably coetecl on both with the viileiinizing geni, enti the outer eenms leyeris coated on. its inner side only, its outer sitle` which in use contirets with the tire shoe? being; exposed, und constituting; what is known as e bareback. 'lhe coeted layers shown by Fig. l0 are united to forni e laninatecl strip before the strip is formen into e bend, und preparation is meile for causing the etlhesion of the band to the tube before the formation and epplication of the bund. l have successfully prepared for said adhesion in two diii'erent ways or by two different modes of trentinent, one of which l eell the eoltl vulcanlzing process, which 1s practised by treating the rubber coated inner surface of the rein' forcing strip und the corresponding rubber surface of the tube with an acid which softens seid surfaces and renders them e lhesive for :L brief period, and immediately pressing,r Seial suri'eces together before they fr, rieuse een. lose the adhesive Character thus f parted. This process does not require the use of vulczinizing gum on ti inner surface of the reinforcing stripj eno eny other kind ot' unvuleanizefl rubber ef y ble oi being softened by `the acitl may be usecl for this surface. he other inoele" treetnient requires the ei ployrnent -o't cenizing gum, and inelruies the pei-tiel solution of the contacting surfaces 0"" the reinforcing strip :intl the tube by e solvent, such its gesolene.

After either oi' the above described prenuretions, l Wrap the reinforcing around the eircun'iiferenee of 'the tribe, cheated by i7 enel apply inn pressure to ell parts oi the 'nenti to insure intimate Contact between eil parte of :iclhesive inner surface and the sin the tube covered by the henri; Sein p sure is preierubly oner'tet. siinnit; on all parte of the bend, enti for n, somewhat protracted perioti bj f trec'tile ligature forming gi oit fhe perritos, lWhen the above clescrib vnlczinizing process isv practises.

plieation of radial inward reienre sin taneously to all, parL oi the ts bend is importent, beceuse of cent eiiect of the acid employed.

'lhe ligature 22 is preferably en eritllees banni of elastic rubber, the width of whi is greater than that of the reinforcing bv i 20, shown by 9, while its diameter is less than that of the form ls, :is .may be seen by comparing i2 enti 8.

'ihe ligature 22 is caused to embrace 'the form enti the tube :intl bend support tl thereby, the ligature being thus expended so that by its eti-ortto contract, it quiol'ly nnel automatically applies radial inward p1 simultaneously to all parte oi the reinlforon ing bend, und maintains seid jgnfessnre es longv :is niziy be desired,

.itixsgs'l3 13 und il show e ligature coin posed. oit e thin exible strip 22% whi l may be 'of sheet'nietel, the ends 221 of wei :ire in sliding;` contact with euch other, one er sniil ends beingi oil'set und overlapping the other. The ligzi'ture 22a is provided with means whereby it nmy be manually contracted to apply radial inward pressure to the reinforcing bend7 seid ineens es here shown including ears 23 and 24 attached to opposite end portions of the ligature, e lever 25 pivoted to the enr 23, and e link 26 pivoted et one end to the lever 25 end' et the opposite' end to the ear 24. When the lever is swung from the position shown by liigs. l2 und 13, to that shown by Fig): iii, the ligature 9,2 cont acted and held in e contracted condition. i

W'hen preparation is nitide for adhesion by :i solvent :Loting on :in inner layer 2G oit vuleanizing gum, the element oi time is less 1,179,oss

important, so that while a contractile ligature constitutes a`desirable and successful means for applying the radial inward pres-` sure, other means such as a roller 28, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, may be employed .for the same purpose. Said roller applies the radial inward pressure progressively and may be journaled in a frame provided with a handle 29, the roller being applied by hand.

After the reinforcing band and the tubel are suitably united the reinforced tube is removed from the form, andis read forination and use. Fig. ll shows by ulllines the tube expanded lto its normal diameter,

the dotted lines-indicating the portion of the tubethat is expanded by inflation.

It will now7 be seen that by the described method and means I insure the retention by the outer ,portion of thetube of its original thickness and its maximum compressibility,

so that the air pressure in the tube is en. abled toact effectively in pressing together y the walls of a of the tubc.

`When thc reinforcing band is united to the tube by vulcanizing gum, preliminarily softened by a solvent as described, the gum acts at once to cause a firm adhesion of the band to the tube 'without being vulvanized, and is subsequently vulcanized or semi-vulcanized by the heat developed when the tire of which the tube forms a part is in operation.' The vulcanizing gum uniting the puncture in the outer portion layers of the reinforcing band is similarlyl affected.

I claim: l. The improved method of reinforcing an inflatable, annular tube, which consists in placing the tube in a collapsed, flattened condition onv an unyielding, endless, cir- :said reinforcing band.y

2,-Tl1e improved method of. reinforcing an inflatable, annular tube' which .consists in placing the tube in a collapsed, flattened;

condition on an unyielding, endless,fcircular v for closely Afitting the-inner surface of the g collapsed tube, applying a flexible, nn-ex-` tensible, reinforcing'strip to the outer surface of the 'collapsed-tube to form a band surrounding the tube, said strip'in'cluding 'an outer layer of wovenA fabricoand an inner layer of lvul'canizing gum, rendering said inner layer adhesive by a solvent of the' gum before applying the strip, and appl ing radial, inward pressure toA all parts 'the band while said inner layer is in an ad-v heslve conditlon.-

3. Apparatus for rein-forcing an inflat-- able, annular tube, comprising' a circular vform havmg a transversely crownmg periphery and an external diameter conforming to the inner side ofv the tube when the y latter iscollapsed and flattened, said form being adapted to' support the tube with the inner side bulging outwardly and its outer j side lying'smoothlyv on its inner side, 'and means for exerting radial inward pressure on all parts of a reinforcing band applied to the convex outer side of a collapsed and .flattened tub'e supported by sai-d form.

4l. Apparatus for reinforcing an inflatable, annular tube, comprising a circular' forfn having an external diameter conform# ing to the internal diameter of the tube4 when the latter is collapsed and flattened, and a ligaturev adapted to lsimultaneously exert radial, inward pressure on all parts of a reinforcing'band applied to a collapsed and flattened tube supported by said form.

5. Apparatus' for reinforcing an inflatable, annular tube, comprising a circular form having an external diameter conforming to the internal diameter of the tube when the latter isv collapsed and flattened,

and an elastic ligature normally of smaller diameter than theform, and adapted to bey expanded to embrace a reinforcing band and a\ tube on said form, and simultaneously exert radial, inward pressure on all parts of In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

JOHN H. POOLE. 

